Yes, I use backyard orchard culture here as well, and have pruned the heck out of everything in the first year or two for good scaffold structure. I find some E plums, esp. prunes, really want to grow vertically/branch too high. I cut maiden whips very low (18") at first planting for this reason. Having kept at it, my Italian plum, mirabelle, and greengage are exactly as tall as I am. It’s some work early on, but I’m already seeing permanent structure that I like and haven’t needed to trim them much at all this year. If we get disease, we get disease - I am by no means averse to cutting out black knot at first sight, or spraying fungicides. Further, just philosophically, I don’t think anyone should grow fruit trees at home unless they are willing to invest in good orchard practices with only a chance of a payout/harvest. Nothing is ever certain, and it’s the journey that I like as much as the destination.
Yes, I feel the same. Hope you don’t though, but that is unlikely expect the worst, and if not, it’s all icing on the cake.
Well said, for me it’s about giving a home to pests. If you’re not willing to do anything you will just bring in all kinds of problems for your neighbors. Scott has manged to keep sprays to a minimum with using the least harmful products available.
I just ate my first-ever Green Gage after 15 years waiting … not ripe! The wait continues… I have a couple dozen on my graft now, but the birds (crows or ravens) have been ruthless. All my Prune d’agen next to the GG graft disappeared.
I have noticed on the Bavays that they can be bitter if they are not completely ripe. Once they are completely ripe (quite soft) they are excellent, extraordinary, amazing. Gotta get more of these! My tree is small unfortunately.
15 years!!!
I waited 4 years without fruit, I cut the largest limb off. I don’t think I would ever wait 10 years for a plum tree. You are extremely patient.
Do you know why they’re not fruiting. Maybe the weather? I was so lucky . My greengage had fruits right on the first growing year even it’s not much information to study in the areas.
Last Sunday I stopped by my cousin’s garden and below her few years old Greengage plum tree.
I ordered the Bavay and Golden Transparent from Raintree. The Bavay grew very slowly and completely died after a couple years . Golden Transparent is growing really tall and big had a few fruits them dropped all . In same time I bought the one call Greengage from the local nursery, the tags didn’t indicate detail what type . It’s wonderful had a lot of fruits right the first year @Richard
My bavay’s gage has about 5 plums on it, and one has a lovely smell to it and the very slightest give when i squeeze it. I am tempted to pick it but above you say they drop when they are ready. Anyone else’s gages getting ready to ripen this year??
Pull the fruit very gently. If it detaches with almost no effort, it is ready.
Cambridge Gage and Bavay’s ripened two or three weeks ago in my zone (9B). Coe’s Golden drop is still hanging.
My green gage only has one plum on it. It is only the size of of a large marble.
Here it is, it doesn’t detach when I gently pull yet, but I did notice it’s softer this morning.
Never had a gage before so I’m very excited. 
I hope you get to taste it!
Tippy, how tall are your trees and what rootstock are you using? Nice going, good looking fruits to.
This fruit does not look like Bavay to me. Probably Jefferson or maybe Golden Transparent, or something else from that family of light colored gage plums. They actually do not detach easily when ripe (like Bavay or Old Green Gage do), pick them when the fruit softens at the top.
Those are not my trees.
My trees are on Marianna 2624. I bent branches and keep the trees open center.
If I were to do it again, I would use this rootstock again but would not bend branches as much as I did with these trees. With fruit load, those branches touch the ground, making it so easy for bunnies in addition to squirrels.
That’s what someone on a facebook fruit group was saying, that Bavay’s gage doesn’t turn yellow. Now I get to figure out what I do have, huh.
Where can I get myself a true gage plum? On a rootstock that’s meant for cold climates? This was supposed to be a bavay’s gage on Citation, I believe from burnt ridge.
This one is pretty small. I opened and ate it, it seemed ready. It’s syrupy and sweet but not overly so. It did just rain. Skin has a very slight sourness.
What you have is a gage plum. There are many varieties of gages, and Bavay is just one of them. My Bavay on Myro 29C is from the Arboreum.
Good to know it’s at least a gage. Thanks for your input.